Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Here's another of those heart breaking examples of vandalism that I was talking about earlier. It's clear by the damage on this headstone that someone or several someones have made their attempts to lop off the cross.

Of course, the vandals didn't count on the sculpture to be a composite of various stone compounds built around an iron framework. Most folks don't stop to think about the cost of headstones (until you're buying one). To make a marker such as this in one solid block of marble or granite would be far too expensive for most, and too fragile to withstand the longevity of the graveyard.

Thus, when these clodhoppers took their hammers to the cross topper in their attempts to desecrate the marker, they were ultimately foiled by the iron support within the composite concrete. They most likely brought injury upon their persons trying to take that cross off, and yet they still could not prevail.

Principles of The Cross:

1-- The strength of His Holy Spirit within is what sustains us in our most broken & lonely moments.

2-- The Cross and it's power of salvation can never be taken down no matter how hard vandals try--and they will try.

3-- It's true that neither death nor life can separate us from the love that is in Christ Jesus.

While this is not my photo, it reminded me of the rabbits that live in our cemetery--the cemetery where my baby girls are buried. Our desert bunnies are a smaller breed than this big fella. But they are so sweet and wonderful. I love that they live in the bushes where my girls rest. Sadly, one of the baby bunnies got nipped by a car back in the summer. He hobbled to a spot not too far from Anne and we found him not too terribly long after it must have happened. We buried him in a spot off the path. I cried for weeks for that stupid bunny. I don't know if the bunny family grieved for their loss, but I do know that I saw a lot less of them after that. We shall see what happens when a new litter occupies their time... waiting for spring...

I thought this shot was so lovely. The poor little angel's been victim to the lawn maintenance--spattered with grass clippings and chips to his resin coating. But he's so steadfast in his watch, and the coloring is so striking. Makes me think that maybe some of my pix of Abigail's headstone might be worthy of posting. I've always been so shy about all the pix I've taken of her headstone & accoutrement.

This foto is truly stunning--a travel photo from one of our cemetery group members at Flickr. I love meeting people willing to share travel photos--reminds me of the days when my grandparents would have slide-show parties after they'd been on an extended RV trip. Flickr is a great way to see people's slide shows of places you'd never get to see otherwise.

Anyway, this foto is lovely. But when I was looking at it more closely, I realized that there was a travel advert plastered all over the base of the monument--painted on. Now, I realize the cemetery is probably a serious part of their history, and I'd naturally want to be among the thousands of travelers who want to visit the place. But they couldn't have made a sign and posted it somewhere other than all over the base of such a gorgeous piece of art ??? (not to mention the death memorial of whomever is buried there)??? I'm just rather gobsmacked...

The member who posted this to our group today titled this grave marker, "Tears in Heaven." I had to change the title for my blog since it's a tremendous error. There are not tears in heaven save the one's God collects in His bottle (see Psalm 56:8). Heaven is the place where the tears of earth are wiped away (see Revelation 7:17 & 21:4).

Tne anguish captured in this headstone illustrates the torment of pain that comes with Adam's Curse. The separation between us and heaven is the worst aspect of the human condition. To compound matters, Adam's disobedience not only separates us from heaven, but also permeates our condition and creates great multitudes of heartache. This is the nature of sin and death.

But in spite of that pain of separation, Resurrectionists believe that one day we will have a new heaven and a new earth; that we will get to have the human experience without the anguished separation of heaven. John's gospel expounds on a teaching by Jesus Himself regarding the opening up of graves and the cemeteries emptying their dead (see John 5). As butterflies in their chrysalis come forth from their shell, so too shall our DNA will come forth from the grave--new creatures, yet of the same substance. John later tells us that we will know Him as He is (see 1 John 3)

So, while I have known, and continue to know, the great anguish depicted by this marker--goodness knows that I have filled many flasks of tears for God's collection--unending rivers of tears. Of one thing I know, and that is that there are no tears in heaven. This is an earthly gravemarker for our sorrowed time before the Resurrection, not a heavenly one.

This is a lovely grave marker for sweet little Geraldine. Her dates are September 11 - December 21, 1925. It's so hard to bury a baby. One can see how much she was loved by the layers of weathered paint. To be certain, several years of doting attendance is noted in the groaning patina. Like my girls' headstones, Geraldine's parents probably tended to the stone's upkeep until they were aged. When the stone is all you get of them on this side of heaven, then you tend to the stone with all that displaced love that was meant for your child. Tho the heart & flesh may fail, the love we have for our babies can never ever die.

Monday, January 26, 2009

This foto reminded me that Abigail's paper whites and hyacinths have broken ground, and are starting to sprout behind her headstone. I need to get some pix taken soon. Anne's tulips aren't fairing as well. The soil behind her headstone is so much harder & dryer. I have to remember to start watering...

This is one of the saddest fotos I've ever seen posted to our cemetery group at Flickr. I kid you not when I say there's a special place for vandals & thieves. I guess this is why I'm so involved in cemetery preservation & restoration. Stuff like this needs to be taken more seriously and not just mocked as insignificant. It just breaks my heart to pieces...

The member who posted this photo notes that this stone angel is located in a church yard in Hawarden. It's unknown if the monument is ceremonially placed for the dead, or if it's merely ornamental. Most folks don't spend such money on ornamentation, so we'll assume it's for the adjacent church cemetery.

The caption on this member's entry reads, "This tree, in Blue Hill Maine's Seaside Cemetery, has over time eaten part of a wrought iron fence.. "

I can imagine the bitty tree that was once planted for whomever is buried there. Or course, they did not plan well between the growth of the tree and the placement of the iron ornamentation. But then again, who thinks rationally when they grieve? What strikes me about the tree are the odd barnicles that have formed--probably from the iron composits that the tree digested along the way. They remind me of all the countless tears that must have watered that tree.

can you imagine this in summer when the trees are in season? In spring they're probaby a burst of flowers, and then in fall the rustiness is probably grand. I wish members would post more about where the cemetery is located.

found this one in the group pool of my Weekly Graveyard Themes group at Flickr. Looks like someone enjoys the frozen crispness of daybreak with a walk through the grandure of this lovely cemetery. I have to thank them for taking this walk for me. I can only imagine it's frigid crispness - brrrrr!

this is an awesome entry from one of the members in my Flickr graveyard group. What's astonishing abou this monument is that vandals haven't damaged the arms & lovely flowing hair--what remarkable detail.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Here's a few pix of the burial yard where we're seeking to have the Angel of Hope Monument added. This section is called the Garden of Innocents and is set aside from the rest of the cemetery exclusively for children two years of age and younger. Both of our girls are interred here and are the subject of most of my photos. In addition to the Angel of Hope monument that we hope to add, we have also added an absolutely beautiful granite bench that sits along the entry path. It's our life aim to make the Garden of Innocents a lovely & peaceful place where parents can find solace & comfort as they pay their respects to their children. We're working closely with the Daniels' Family Funeral Services as well as the Christmas Box Angel of Hope coordinator. We're all very excited at the possibility of bringing an angel monument to the New Mexico region. The closest monument to us is in Pueblo, CO and thus we are all very eager to finally get one established here. Of course, any & all donations are extremely appreciated. On behalf of bereaved parents everywhere, we thank you for supporting our cause. May the blessings be returned to you a hundred fold.

This is the view from Vista Verde Memorial Park - from the lovely Garden of Innocents where my babygirls are buried. I grew up looking at those mountains, but they never looked as lovely as they do from the view at the cemetery.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

This foto's not mine, but it captures very well the love & grief for a missing child that I know all too well. The bear is a lovely gesture made, most likely, by a still grieving parent. My hope is that folks who take these pix understand the hearts who mourn the losses of these precious loved ones.

My new Coolpix camera did an okay job of capturing the luminaria display at the cemetery. I got lucky with the lack of traffic. Usually Christmas Eve is non-stop traffic coming & going, so I've never been able to get a proper photo of the lumiarias.

I had a new camera for the holidays this year. In years past, I've not been able to get any good pix of the luminaria display that they always do at the cemetery. We took the girls their bitty sand sacks, but none of my pix came out worthy of posting. One of these days I'll get the hang of digital apertures LOL it took me decades to finally learn manual photography skills only to have digital come along and shake it all up...

One Hundred Angels of Hope

Help Give Central NM an Angel of Hope Monument

Your generous donations will help grieving parents not only in the state of New Mexico, but throughout the entire southwest region. We deeply thank you for all your continued financial support; and most importantly for keeping us in your fervent prayers.

About Me

I'm Vickie, 51, married since 1985. We have a grown son, born in 1986, and aside from two early miscarriages, were barren thereafter. That is until 2003, when we were miraculously expecting a baby girl. The pregnancy was wonderful & we were very excited to be so blessed. Sadly & preventably, Abigail died in utero the week of her due date thanks to a practice of outlandishly horrid medical providers masquerading as knowledgeable professionals. Consequently, I delivered her lifeless body on December 6, 2003 after 3 days of sorrowed labor. She may have been born still, but she was still born & is still loved. Long story short, we were blessed 16 months later with a 3rd miracle child. Anne came into the world on April 28, 2005 after yet another wonderful pregnancy. Sadly, it was discovered after her birth that she had a heart defect caused by trisomy 18. She died suddenly of congestive heart failure, just before midnight on June 28, 2005. Anne was 61derful days old when she left her mama's arms & went to rest in the Lord's. She was a wonderful sparkly child, who along with her siblings, are the subject of most of my writings, interests & hobbies.